Hellcat Squadran: Sorrow Unflinching
This story is the sequal to Hellcat Squadran: Chaos Unending. At this point, the conflicts within the Renner family have begun to reach their peak, and the secret of Anastasia being Judge Althaea has done nothing to settle the conflict. As Anastasia begins to detach herself from the world more, the arguments between Sasha, and her mother and brother, grow more and more heated. Will something happen to make reconciliation possible, or will the Renner family fall apart? Chapter 1: Sorrow "Are you ready, Althaea?" "Ready when you are, Gabranth." It's been 9 months since Anastasia Renner, as Judge Althaea, destroyed the criminal Giarc Evargrah, and, since then, she'd been training herself to be able to use her Mist Powers, especially her Quickenings, better. This time, she was dueling Judge Gabranth, head to head, in a no-holds-barred battle. As the duel began, their swords clashed, with a resounding clang. Gabranth then fired a Fire Magick, which Anastasia Shelled against. Anastasia countered with a more powerful Fira, which Gabranth just shrugged off. Then, he prepared a Haste Magick, which allowed him to act faster. Anastasia, not wanting to allow him to have a speed advantage, tried to cast Slow. However, the magick backfired, and instead, she Slowed herself, at which point, Gabranth was too fast for her. After knocking Anastasia to the ground, hard, Gabranth removed his helmet, when he saw Anastasia struggling to get up, and went over to help her. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked, dispelling the Slow effect on her. Removing her helmet, Anastasia responded, "I'm fine..." as Gabranth helped her up. "I guess I'm not good enough with Time Magicks yet." "You'll get better, do not worry..." Gabranth replied, "How are things at home?" Anastasia, at the mention of her home, began tear up. "Still going poorly, I see..." "They just refuse to get along...I was hoping the encounter with Giarc could possibly bring the family together...but all it did was make mom more paranoid and Sasha more rebellious..." "I see...my brother and I used to have a feud...nearly lead to our deaths...in fact, a former incarnation of myself did die, but by then, we'd already attempted to make amends...now we've been given the chance to make amends again...and this time...I'm living through it...there will come a time where reconciliation between your sister and your mother can come...even if you must be the one to force it on them." "How...how can you be so sure?" Anastasia asked. "I'm not." Gabranth replied. When Anastasia did not respond, he asked, "So...what do you plan to do now?" "I'll...just head home...wait for something to happen..." "Very well...see you next time..." "Bye..." ---- Anastasia returned to her home through her waystone. After putting up her armor and exiting her secret room, she left her room...to hear a shouting match in progress. She snuck her way downstairs, finding her mother and Sasha arguing. She no longer listened to their arguments: they were ALWAYS the same thing. She managed to leave the house, undetected, and made her way to one of the parks in the base. While walking by the fountain in the park, she noticed 4 individuals in a conversation: IceBite, May, Tex, and Galiana. When they noticed Anastasia, they fell silent, and left, except for IceBite, who approached her and asked, "So, how are you holding up?" When Anastasia just silently walked over to a bench and sat down, he answered, "That poorly, huh?" Anastasia just lowered her head and shook it. "It's just...all the arguing...I just want it to stop...My mother and my sister just keep arguing...and I just want it to end..." "Well, at least you still HAVE a mother..." IceBite commented. That sent a little shock of reality through Anastasia. "I lost my mother when I was real young: I barely knew her, and for a long time, I wondered what she'd think of me were she alive today...then I remember that were she alive today, I might not be as I am now. However, at least you DO have your mother..." "But...sometimes it doesn't feel like she's my mother: just someone else to cause misery in my life...I'm happy she wants us to be protected, but...she always finds reason to argue with Sasha...and it seems like Sasha does nothing but instigate it...." IceBite seemed to think for a moment, before saying, "I won't pretend to know what you're going through, but my argument remains the same: at least you still have a mother..." Then, he left, leaving Anastasia there in the park alone, lost in thought. Chapter 2: The Other Side Sasha was pissed off at her mother. Again Elle was being overprotective, which always pissed Sasha off. She was kicking and punching everything around her, trying to vent her anger. Then, another thought entered her head, increasing her irritation: how her sister is keeping her secret identity as Judge Althaea secret. She thought she looked like a coward doing so: she was hiding her most powerful identity unnecessarily, as far as she knew. However, her frustated venting halted when she noticed Anastasia, sitting on a park bench, looking depressed. She walked over to her, and shouted, "Oi!" Anastasia seemed to flinch at it. Turning her head slightly towards Sasha, Anastasia asked, in a somewhat depressed tone, "What is it?" "No need to be so gloomy, I've just got a question," Sasha said to her. Turning her head slightly more in Sasha's direction, Anastasia asked, again in a depressed tone, "What?" "First, why are you keeping yourself a secret, and two, what's wrong?" "What...you mean 'Althaea'?" "You're the same chick." "In one sense...in another...I just...I can't tell just anyone...Too dangerous...for all of us..." "They know full well who everyone else is." "Yeah, but how many of you have caused the AoUD so much havoc in the past 2 years?" "Look at the Sigurdsons. Ferrans. More then the last two years." "Yeah, but they've been hitting the AoUD generically...you piss just one of them off...it's like it's personal to them..." As she continued having to explain, Anastasia was getting more and more upset. "You think any of us wouldn't murder a hundred of them if they came close to you?" "You think I'm worried about myself?!" Anastasia, now extremely upset, blurted out. "I know you'd protect me, but if the Archadians find out who I am, so will they: they'll do everything they can to kill not just me, but you guys off too, and...I don't want that to happen!" Now, unable to stand how upset she was, Anastasia got up and ran off, crying. Sasha couldn't believe it: the only member of her family she gave a damn about, and she just sent her away, crying. "FUCK ME!" she shouted, and, once she found the first piece of drywall she could, put her head through it, thinking, "They're better off without me." ---- Sen was out walking around, thinking. While he didn't like running off like Sasha, he wasn't content just spending his whole day at home, like Anastasia was prone to do. Suddenly, he heard crying, and in the distance, he saw Anastasia running from something. He looked into it...and saw Sasha driving her head into a piece of drywall. "Damn it..." Sen said, face palming. He'd also been noticing that Anastasia was getting depressed lately, but did not pressure her on it...and what he just witnessed was exactly the reason he didn't. However, he didn't fell like chewing Sasha out on it...with her putting her head through a piece of drywall, it looked as through she was adequately punishing herself, for once... ---- Later on that evening, Sasha was at a bar. She was thinking on her family again, specifically what went down between her and Anastasia earlier. Now, all she felt was guilty over making her cry, and was now deciding to find somewhere else to stay: she didn't think there was any way Anastasia would forgive her anytime soon. Suddenly, the bar door opened slightly. Then, tenatively, the person who opened the door peered their head into the bar. While she didn't believe it at first, she realized it was Anastasia. Once Anastasia noticed her, she, equally shyly, entered the bar, and approached her. "Hey, Sasha...have a moment to talk?" Her tone wasn't depressed like before, but more apologetic in nature. "Bartender, what the hell did you put in my drink?" "Hey, don't think I really want to be here right now, but...I need to talk to you...about earlier..." "Ok." She then left. She didn't pay, but the Bartender did not object. Anastasia wasn't exactly sure why, but she had more pressing matters on her mind. When she and Anastasia were both outside, it took Anastasia a moment to start talking. "I'm...I'm sorry about my reaction earlier...after thinking it over, I think I..overreacted...I'm sorry..." Sasha looked surprised: all this time she was kicking herself mentally for what happened, and here's Anastasia apologizing for what happened. "Wow...uh...I thought I was gonna have to move out..." Anastasia's face then had a worried expression. "Please don't..." "Well, uh, I didn't think you were going to forgive me any time in the forseeable future, and, well, you're the reason I haven't gone to become a hooker or something." "Me? How...how am I the reason?" "You're the only one I give a shit about, of the direct family." "Why do you say that? I mean...I...I'm not too different from the others...really..." "How many times have you tried to put me in a bigger dog cage?" "What do you mean by that?" "Seriously, Sen only put me down when I asked if he was going to rape me." "When'd that happen?" "Last week." "Ohhh...still...I am sorry about earlier...I guess it's just...things've been mentally straining for me recently..." "Well, you'll get used to it." "Really? How do you know?" "Well, our brother tried to put me in a dog cage last week, which is the hundred and seventh attempt to lock me inside something..." Then, under her breath, Anastasia said, "More reason hate my life..." "Hmmm?" "Huh? Uhhh...nothing, nothing...Ummm...why'd that bartender not react when you didn't pay him?" "Women were given these for a reason." She then pointed at Anastasia's chest. "Ummm...to be honest, I'd rather rely on my mind..." Anastasia responded nervously. "I'm serious, I have never paid at this bar once." "Really?" "Yeah. And I kept my belt on." "Ok...I guess I'm just the kind of person that prefers the power of the mind, instead..." Anastasia said. "Well I failed Language Arts, so I gotta go with what I have." "Yeah...and I'm not much of a people person...so I guess I have to make due with what I have..." "I found a toy you can use in the Sigurdson's back yard." "What?" "You know, for the single ladies." "Uhhmmm...Now I'm wondering if I WANT to know..." "You know, rubber, a foot long, vibrates." "Uhhmmm...yeah, not sure if I want to know after all..." "Don't worry, I never used it." "Alright...so...what to do now..." "I have no idea. Find a boyfriend?" "Uhm...not yet...not sure...if I feel ready to find someone yet..." She sounded slightly skittish when she said it. "Why not?" "I-I-I...I-I-I'm not sure..." "Don't freak out, it's up to you." "Al-Alright..." "Well, I'm headed back inside, want to join me? Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't pay." "Do they have anything...you know...non-alcoholic to drink in there?" "Yep. Just don't order the cranberry juice, they'll think you're on your period." "Uh...good to know..." With that, Anastasia and Sasha re-entered the bar. When they got to the counter, the bartender asked how Anastasia was going to pay. With a wink, Sasha responded she'll pay for both of them. Chapter 3: Sinking Deeper The next day, Anastasia almost ran right into her mother and sister arguing. With her family again at odds with each other, Anastasia began to feel more and more depressed, now spending more time than ever sitting alone in the park. "Hey kid, you alright?" a voice asked her, while she was doing so. "Yeah, I'm fine..." she said in a particularly depressed voice. "Listen, I've been alive for longer than your whole family put together, I can tell when something's wrong. So, what is it?" Anastasia waited a moment, before saying, "Nothing different..." "That's family troubles, right?" Anastasia sadly nodded. "Aye. Listen kid, there isn't much I can tell you that'll make you feel better, but remember this: no matter what they think of each other, they all care for you. It may not be the best arrangment, but it is better than most." "Yeah, I guess so: IceBite earlier reminded me how he has no parents left...I just wish that they could just...stop fighting..." "Friends and families fight, it just happens. You can't really get past that. Just remember that when it's important, they'll get along." "Ever since the Mirror War, I can't remember a single time they EVER got along..." "Well, you won't remember them getting along if you spend most of your time out here on these benches." "I spend most of my time here, because they NEVER get along...the only place where I can get away from the arguing..." "Ever try to find common ground for them?" "Find common ground for them? I rarely, if ever, get a word in edge-wise, when I try to interfere at all..." "Well then, I can't really help you out anymore. I gave you parts of a plan. You just need to figure out how to make it work." Anastasia just lowered her head, as if trying to think, but really, her sadness interfered with such thoughts, and instead, tears began streaming from her eyes. Seeing this, Ryan cursed to himself. "Damnit." Then, after thinking it over, he told her, "Listen, I knew your dad pretty well. If you ever need to get away from them for a while, we have a few spare rooms. It will at least help you get away for a while." After wiping away her tears, Anastasia sniffled, "Al-Alright...thank you..." "Anytime. And remember, things always get better. Nothing stays bad forever." At that point, he got up off the bench, and had started preparing to go. "Alright...I just hope they do...before..." She didn't finish the statement. She just couldn't do it. "They will, don't worry about it." Ryan then left at that point, leaving more thoughts in Anastasia's head. So many people keep assuring her things between her family will get better, even as things get worse and worse... With how bad things are getting...she's just not sure she can believe it anymore... ---- "Are you sure this information is accurate? If it's not..." "Don't worry: our intelligence network is never wrong..." "And yet, all missions using your intel fail." "That is due to unforseen circumstances. This time, however, we've made sure to get everything." "I merely do not see how this can be coincidence..." "It never is...it's never coincidence how everything that happens to us is due to Hellcat Squadran...and this 'Judge Althaea'...is no different..." Chapter 4: In the Depths Sasha was running in the park, one day, for her training. As she ran, however, she noticed Anastasia, again, sitting there, again looking depressed. Every single day, she'd seen Anastasia there, always looking depressed. Finally, she decided: she wanted to get to the bottom of why she became this way, but she knew she wouldn't get a word out of her, so she started looking around. Eventually, she spotted Galiana Matveev, just standing still, with the wind blowing against her. It was something she found quite unusual, but, rather than ask her about it, she approached her, and got straight to the point. "So, you being practically a million and one years people and wise, what's wrong with my sister?" Rather slowly, Galiana lowered her head, and turned towards Sasha. "You mean Anastasia? I remember something she told me a few months ago. Upon pondering it, I believe it may be related to her withdrawal from everyone..." "Now's the time to talk," Sasha replied. Galiana waited for a few moments, as though sifting through the memories of a million people, to put the scene back together. Then, when she was ready, she said, "A few months back, I was able to get her attention. She told me of her suffering over the past few years due to the constant feuding in your family...The whole thing reminds me of an old story from my people around when I was born..." Sasha was getting impatient. "Fuck your story. Where is she now?” Galiana seemed a little surprised by the outburst, but composed herself and answered calmly, "...I am unsure as to where she is right now...I haven't seen her for a while now...From how I see things for her, she's not upset that the conflict started...just that neither side attempted to reconcile..." Sasha then said, "Oh have I got a talk for her..." At that point, Sasha left to relocate Anastasia. Galiana sighed, and then again letting the wind blow at her, she whispered as though to herself, “...I merely hope that the conflict will end...I do not want this to end in the same way as that story...” ---- As Sasha had hoped, Anastasia was still on that one bench in the park. While she knew part of Anastasia's problem for a while, hearing it from Galiana made Sasha believe that now was the time to explain her side of the conflict to Anastasia. She walked over, and sat down on the bench next to her, hoping she'd notice. However, Anastasia remained silent, as though too consumed by her thoughts tonotice the outside world. After a minute or so of waiting, Sasha said out loud, "You gonna notice me?" Anastasia remained silent for afew moments, before finally replying, "...I'm...I'm sorry...just...my mind's a little...strained..." Sasha then said bluntly, "No, you're pissed." Anastasia turned her head slightly in Sasha's direction, before replying, "...What makes you say that?" "You are pissed at all of us because as you put it, we don't try to reconcile with each other." "...Where'd you get that from?" "Galiana. It isn't hard to put one and one together.” Anastasia sighed. This was quickly making her upset, but she held it back, as Sasha was trying to take the time to talk it over with her. "...I just...it...I...I just want the senseless conflict to stop...what's anyone to gain from it? All I can see it doing is breaking our family apart..." "Do you even know how it started?”, Sasha asked. Anastasia, after realizing she didn't know, responded, "Not entirely..." "Here is how. Mom came back and she started her overprotective spree. You two were fine with that. Me? No. I was different then you two. She couldn't handle that. So she and Sen started hounding me for every move I made. Everything they didn't like that I did, they hounded me for it. I just took it because of you. I didn't want this family to break into an open war. They didn't stop. They haven't stopped, and they won't stop. Next time one of them says something, I'm going to fight back Ana. I'm done taking everything they are trying to indoctrinate me with," Sasha answered. While she didn't want to upset Anastasia twice in the same week, she also felt that she needed to know the truth. Anastasia was uncertain of how to respond, and remained silent. Sasha then told her, "So don't blame me for something I didn't do." Anastasia seemed to grow mroe and more upset. "...I'm not..." Finally, she went to tears, but not at Sasha: Sasha understood that the whole subject was a hard one for her. "I just want the fighting to stop..." Anastasia finished. Sasha sighed, and said in a somewhat kind, but stern, tone "I'm sorry, Ana, but that's up to mom and Sen. Not me." Anastasia couldn't respond: she was too wrapped up in thought. "I am going to go home now. Odd, for me, but that's how it's going to have to happen." Anastasia stayed silent, deep in thought and looking extremely depressed. With that, Sasha left, wishing either Sen or Elle will give her a reason to fight back, and partly. Chapter 5: See what I've Become After taking some time to think over what everyone, what Galiana, Tex, IceBite, Ryan, and Sasha, had told her, Anastasia walked back home. However, as she feared, another argument was in progress in her family. However, this one was especially loud, and Anastasia feared that this may be the final straw. "Well, maybe if you just did what you were supposed to do, and not do what you're not supposed to do, we wouldn't have to keep getting on you about it!" "Supposed?! You came back after fucking YEARS and expected me to fall into fucking line like a goddamn toy soldier! All you've ever done for me is make me, after that, I've been taking care of myself because you're a shitty parent!" At Sasha's comment, Elle looked both infuriated and even a little hurt. "What did you just call me?! All I want is for you 3 to be safe, and what do you do: do EVERYTHING you can to put yourself in danger!" "Safe?!" Sasha exclaimed, angered, "Your definition of safe is caging me like a fucking animal! For god's sake woman, we'd have been better off if we had died on the Sidewinder! Just put a bullet in my goddamn head now then, come on!" Then, to everyone's shock, she tossed Elle a firearm. Elle looked at her with a horrified expression, while Sen angrilly said, “How...how dare you…” Sasha then turned to Sen, an screamed at the top of her lungs, "SHUT UP! ALL YOU'VE EVER DONE IS MAKE MY LIFE HELL! HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED TO CONSIDER HOW WHAT YOU DID AFFECTED ME?!" Then...Anastasia realized: she couldn't take it anymore. She'd forgotten everything everyone had told her, and only one thought remained: I HAVE to do something...or this is it for us. Then, her fear mixing with rage, she then screamed, loud enough to be heared over the arguing, "STOP IT! STOP IT! ALL OF YOU, JUST STOP IT!!! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!" The room fell silent. Sasha, Elle, and Sen all stared at Anastasia. She didn't care, she'd had it, and now her fear, sadness, and rage over this was too powerful, breaking. She HAD to say something. Sasha looked at Ana, a mix of happy and surprised she's finally talking. Elle and Sen, however, looked shocked at this. All this time, they thought Anastasia was on their side in the argument, but this no longer appeared to be the case. Elle then said, breaking the silence, "An-Anastasia?! What..." Anastasia wouldn't hear it, the moment Elle openned her mouth, she continued speaking her mind. It was as though venting several years worth of fear and anguish was all that mattered to her now. "No more...NO MORE! ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP! I've had it with all the fighting! I've been wondering why we can't all just get along, and not it just seems...that YOU 2," she then pointed accusedly at Sen and Elle, "just don't want to! Apparently, your 'rules' are more important to you than keeping this family together!" Elle looked shocked. She couldn't believe what Anastasia was saying. Sasha was trying to keep from looking somewhat satisfied and joining in, letting Ana get it all out: she knew this was something she had to do, and she needed to do it alone. "All this time, I was keeping quiet, hoping that you guys would just learn to get along...now it looks like that you 2 are too busing being critical over Sasha to allow the conflict to end! I find some of her acts questionable, but do I hound her every chance I get?! NO, I DO NOT!" Sasha fist pumped behind her back: she knew Anastasia had similar opinions about how she wanted to live her own life as Elle and Sen did, but didn't want to rule over Sasha's life, and this statement now makes it known to all. Anastasia then turned to Elle, "I know you just want us to be safe, but...BEING SAFE IS NOT WORTH SHIT IF WE'RE MISERABLE ALL THE TIME!"' Elle's expression then looked even more shocked: not only was she saying what she was, but she never used profanity before. Sasha mouthed "Holy shit!" at Sen, who, surprisingly, looked like he agreed with her. Anastasia then wrapped it all up by saying, "There's a fine line between 'keeping us safe' and 'smothering us'...and I'm afraid you crossed that line a LONG TIME AGO! So, to keep this family together, and to allow us to be happy, BACK OFF!!!!!" Elle's expression then began to fluxuate between shocked and...guilty: whatever was fueling her desire to lord over Sasha, Sasha realized that what Anastasia said must have shattered that resolve. Just then, however, Anastasia's own expression changed: from angered to horrific realization. All this time, she'd kept quiet, believing that bursting out like she just did would only cause more conflict. "Did...did I just..." Then, all her anger burned out, her fear dispersed, all that remained was a tight and gripping despair over what she'd just did. She then dropped to her knees, shivering and sobbing, in extreme guilt. Elle's expression became completely guilt-ridden, as if she realized how much her attempts to 'protect' her children had actually been hurting them, and left the room, on the verge of tears herself. Sasha, immediately worried, took a tentative step towards Ana, but Sen got their first. After a minute of trying, and failing, to rouse Anastasia from her despair, he looked up at Sasha, just as guilt-ridden as his mother. "S-Sasha...I-I..." Sasha coldly replied, "It's not me you should start apologizing to." With that, she left the house, as Sen returned to trying to rouse Anastasia from her despair. ---- Feeling she needed to tell someone what happened, Sasha seeked out Norm, who she found at the shooting range. When she found him, Sasha asked him, "Hey, can we talk?" Norm stopped what he was doing, and replied, "Always. What's up?" "Shit just got real." "Fight?" "Yeah. I lost it. fully. I told them how I felt for once." "Oh boy." "Yeah...I...I tossed a gun at mom and told her to shoot me." That shocked Norm, who remained silent, because of it. At that point, Sasha continued. "Ana lost it after that. Next thing we know she was screaming at them." "Them?" "Yeah...I told her how it started." "Oh god...What happened next?" "She was swearing at mom, then. It was like a volcano erupting. Told her she was smothering us. Then...she just stopped, looked terrified, and just started crying." "God damn..." "Then mom ran out and Sen started trying to rouse her. Tried to apologize to me, but its not me he should apologize to." "Dear lord..." Sasha was the quiet after that. Norm finally said, "I'm calling Ian and Mark. Before you ask about Ian not being here, he's been warding off a hundred private investigators and reporters since the Giarc incident. He's also drawn away about three dozen assassins from your family." "So...Ian is coming over?" Sasha asked. "You bet he is. Sasha, shoot something. Get some of that pressure out of your system." At that point, Sasha grabbed an Assault Rifle and unloaded on a target, while Norm went over to phone Ian and Mark. Chapter 6: Aftermath The next day, Ian arrived at the base. However, IceBite immediately heard about it and then frustratedly asked, "Ok, what the hell are you doing here? Got enough on my plate without having to watch you!" Ian merely shoved by him, however, IceBite turned into a bolt of light and got in front of him again. "Again: why the hell are you here, unannounced?!" Ian then pulled out a revolver and stuck it in IceBite's face. "Move." "Not until you tell me what you're doing here!" Just then, Norm appeared and forced Ian to put down the gun. Then he told IceBite, "I asked him to come. You of all people should respect family matters. You should go." "Family matters? You mean...right..." Then he turned to Ian, and said, "You should have just said so, I'd have not held you up had you." At that point, IceBite left. "Not that I should have to, why else would I come here?" Norm then said to Ian, "Come on, man. Mark's already at the house." "Ok. What happened?" Ian asked Norm replied, "Sasha will explain when we get there...we haven't exactly been able to find Elle..." "Ok. How are the triplets?" Ian asked. "Rattled. I swear, Ana looked about ready to move in with you last I saw her." "She's always welcome. They all are." "When Sasha's old enough, I still plan on bringing mine over." "Alright." At that point, they finally arrived at the house, to find Mark waiting on the porch. "Thank god. Come on, this'll be a long day." ---- Ian knocked on the door to Anastasia's room, he found he got no response, despite being told she was there. He then called out, "Ana...can I come in?" Still no response. When he finally let himself into the room, he found Anastasia sitting on her bed, looking absolutely miserable: she was still crying, her hair was messed up, seemingly unresponsive to anything. He then entered the room, and sat down next to her. "How're you doing?" She still didn't answer. "Ah. You're feeling guilty." It seemed as though she would remain unresponsive, until finally... "I...I-I just...I lost it back there..." "Yeah. I heard. What do you think about what happened?" "I...I-I-I...I-I don't know...All this time...I was just hoping this conflict...it'd just...settle down...and when it didn't..." She then seemed ready to cry again. Ian put a comforting arm round Anastasia, before telling her, "What you did was not unneeded, Ana. Nor can it be blamed on you. If anything, you probably just prevented a lot of further fighting." Anastasia sniffed, and wiped her eyes with her arm, before asking, "What...What-What do you mean?" "Your mom and brother needed to hear how it was affecting you. That was the biggest wrong they commited. They didn't consider what either of your girls felt. Now that they know, they can ease up." "I...I-I-I don't know..." "Mark's talking to Sen right now. Norm is probably trying to find your mom. If there's something those two can do is help make peace. Don't worry about it. I don't think anyone wants any more fighting in this family." "I...I-I-I guess so..." "I'm sorry I haven't been around. Those private investigators do get annoying. I figured you'd want your privacy." Anastasia wiped her eyes again. "Yeah..." "Current situation aside, how have you been?" "Fine...I guess...all things considered..." ---- Mark located Sen, and, sitting down next to him, he asked, "So. Where do you see yourself right now?" "As an ass...as having ALWAYS been an ass..." "Maybe. Where do you want to go now?" "I have no idea..." "Do you want to make it up to Ana and Sasha?" "I...I never thought anything I was doing was really hurting them...sure, I seemed like an ass to Sasha, but I thought she was just compromising the safety I thought we had..I had no idea just how much any of this was hurting Anastasia..." "You didn't answer the question." "Well...yeah, I guess..." "Then apologize again, to both of them, who cares if Sasha wants to hear it. Just give them some breathing room, but try to do stuff WITH them sometime." "I'll...I'll see what I can do..." Sen replied. "Good. Start now. Get out there and talk to Sasha right now." "Al-Alright..." Sen replied, and he got up to leave. ---- Norm had been trying to track down Elle, for a while, until he finally got a tip saying she was seen going into the forest, where Sean used to go on his monthly hunting trips, which Elle used to accompany him on sometimes. Finally, he located her at a small river, tossing small stones into it. It used to be the river Sean and Elle would camp by. As Norm approached her, as if she sensed him coming, she said, in a guilt-ridden, depressed voice, "All I ever wanted...was for them to be safe...I just...never realized how much...I was hurting them...until..." She then began to cry at that. "I'm not going to say we didn't warn you." "But...what else could I do? How else...could I keep them from being..." As she cried, she spoke through it, "I just..didn't want them...to end up like Sean..." "Why did you come out here?" "I...I-I needed...I needed some time...alone...to think...I just...I'm not sure...Have I really been wrong this whole time?" "Only in part. A large part, but still." "But...what could I have done? What could I have done better? If I let them go too freely...I...I probably would lose them..." "You were right to watch over and be careful, but not trusting them to be able to defend themselves? Do you have any idea what Sasha does every day to make sure she's ready for that?" "No...I don't know anything about what she does..." "You could have become more involved in their lives instead of trying to control them." At that point, Elle just began to sink back into guilt again. "But that isn't important. What you're going to do now is get back there and start telling them how sorry you are, and try to accept the fact Sasha is more like Sean than you." Elle was silent for a moment, before saying, "You...You're right...I...I can't let these flashbacks...affect my judgement any longer...Thank you..." Then, she looked sad again. "I just...I just wish Sean were still here...he might have been able to...to..." "Don't. Come on, I'll give you a ride." "Thanks again..." Chapter 7: Coming Together Elle and Norm were almost back to the base, when suddenly, Norm received a call from Mark. "Norm, it's Mark! We're under attack! Archadians! I think they're here for Anastasia!" Then, an explosion sounded in the background, and a bow twanged twice. "IAN! GET THEM THE FUCK OUT!" "Mark! Hold on man we're coming!" "Hurry!" Then, over the phone, came the sound of a tomahawk slicing through plate mail. "Come on motherfuckers!" Then, at that point, the line dies. "Son of a bitch! I don't care how many times Tory tries to shoot me, I am going to murder Dawn!" Norm said, and at that point, had the vehicle moving at full speed for the Renner house. On the way there, they discovered IceBite, ready for battle. "What the hell's going on? First, Nod's attacking our main gates, and now I'm hearing of explosions in the Residential Area." Elle responded, "Damn! The attack by Nod must be a diversion! The Archadians are here after Anastasia! They must know...something..." "You mean the whole 'Judge Althaea' thing?! Yeah, already knew! See to your daughter, we'll make sure Nod remains ONLY a distraction!" With that, he left. With that, Norm dropped Elle of at her house. Fighting her way in, she regrouped with Mark. "Where're the triplets?!" "Ian took Sasha and Sen, where the hell is Ana!?" "Wait?! She's not here?!" Elle cried out. "Son of a bitch!" At that moment, he fired on more Archadians. "Where'd you last see her?" Elle worriedly asked. "Going to her room, don't ask!" Not long after he answered, the last of that particular strike force was wittled to nothing. "Hurry, let's head up there and see if we can find any clue of where she is now." At that moment, Ian, Sasha, and Sen came in. "Are you 2 alright?" Elle asked her 2 older children. "We're fine!" Sen responded. "Alright then, your sister was last seen heading to her room. Let's go!" The group then headed upstairs. But, as they neared Anastasia's room, they heard some Archadians talking. "Still no sign of where she went?" "No, not a clue." "Sir! Found something: a secret room. Found a waystone in here, recently used: she must have escaped with that." "Come on, let's take them," Sasha said. Elle was about to approve of the course of action, when they heard more Archadians approaching. Furthermore, the Archadians in the room went into an uproar. "Sir! The Waystone! Something's coming through!" Then came the sound of a short fight. "That's Ana," Sasha said. "There was more than just her 2 swords there, and I sensed only 3 Archadians in there: meaning the sounds of 9 swords for 4 people?" Sen replied, noticing a discrepency. Before Sasha could kick down the door, it opened, revealing Anastasia, fully armored as Judge Althaea, with a larger individual in similar, more masculane-looking armor, and 2 Dalmascan Judge-Generals. "Sorry I disappeared, thought it'd be stupid to enter the fight alone," Anastasia replied. "It usually is better to call for reinforcements," Gabranth, the man in the similar armor, said. Sasha then asked, "Did you leave none for me?" "There will be more to fight, you can count on that," Gabranth said. "Bloody hell, c'mon Sen, we need to find something to help out with," Sasha then said, with Sen following. Mark said, "About time!" before he decided to go and see if Kira was alright. Ian then asked, "You fellas mind if I spent some quality time with my goddaughter?" Gabranth replied, politely, "Actually, I was rather hoping to observe...observe being a relative term...my pupil's increase in skill in the field, if that is not too much to ask." "I guess, despite the fact you've, y'know, SEEN her for the last several years." "Thank you. Now, let us push these Archadians out of here! NO ONE messes with the Family of a Judge and gets AWAY WITH IT!" Gabranth roared. "This will get bloody," Ian said, bending down to pick up a fireaxe. Now ready to fight, Ian, Gabranth, and Anastasia lead the charge that met the Archadians. Ian chopped through the soldiers, while both Anastasia and Gabranth cleaved their way into the horde. Towards the end of the fight, one Archadian released a massive greenish Fire Eidolon. However, Gabranth easily put it down with his Quickening Chain: first emitting a large black beam that struck the creature, then releasing several punches that made Space around it crack like glass, and finally spawning several fiery swords that stabbed into the creature. Then, as a final measure, with a cry of "Surrender now to OBLIVION!" he summoned the concurrence Black Hole, which swallowed the monster, reducing it to an Eidolon Shard. With that beast destroyed, the Archadians were wiped out. As the group looked over the battlefield, Ian dug his axe into the head of a dead Archadian Soldier and sat on the body. Gabranth walked up to Anastasia, who'd removed her helmet, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I think the Archadians know who you are now." "Yeah...but...I wonder how they found out..." Anastasia replied, as Sen and Sasha appeared, Sasha with Sen in a playful headlock. "I'll have my people try to find out. Claud's proven she has a knack for getting information out of people," Ian cut in. "I think I have an idea," said a voice, as Dawn and Tory, both in battle armor approached. "Recently had to imprison a couple guys from maintenance: turns out they were Nod spies...STILL got holes I need to patch up in the security network, this is REALLY starting to piss me off..." "Not surprising, but go on." After sending an angry glare at Ian, Dawn continued, "One of them managed to leave a recorder that recorded the conversation Anastasia and Sasha had in the park: the one that upset Anastasia...didn't find the recorder until the agent already copied and sent the information to Nod: the whole AoUD knows who Anastasia is now, and chances are, other people do too." "You should start running. Norm will be here in about thirty seconds," Sasha warned. "I'm not scared of him," Dawn adamantly replied, however, at Tory's urging, she left. As Dawn left, Sasha and Ian both said, "She should be." As they were speaking, however, Anastasia had wandered off. "Where the hell does Ana keep going?" Sasha asked. Gabranth, however, answered, "She said she wanted to head to her room, that she needed some time to think things over...I should be heading back to base as well. I will see you later." With that, Gabranth departed. After Gabranth left, Ian then asked, "Now where the hell did he send my axe...?" Chapter 8: Truth and Reconciliation A few nights later, after the house was repaired, Elle finally managed to muster up the courage to face Sasha. She found Sasha on the roof of the house. “Sasha...” she said out loud. “Vodka?” Sasha asked Elle's first instinct was to scold her for drinking alcohol at her age, but realized that'd be counter-productive in what she was trying to do, so she instead said, "No thank you: last time I got drunk, I swore off alcohol..." "Trust me, it gets better." “Nah...would rather not have to go through it again…” Sasha, knowing her mother, said, "Well, I'm sure you're here for a reason." "Yes, I am...I still remember Anastasia's outburst from earlier...and I...all I ever wanted was for the 3 of you to be safe: ever since I was subjected to that Mirror Being torture, I just...I just keep seeing visions of those close to me being brutally murdered...and I just don't want that to happen...to ANY of you..." "Well, contrary to popular belief, I do happen to be careful in life. For example, I have mastered two martial arts and I'm learning another." "Really? I didn't know that..." "And it happens my best friend is a psychic who rivals Adriana in power. She'd come help me faster than you would." "Why haven't I heard of this?", she asked, trying to figure all this out. "To be quite frank, I didn't trust you enough." That struck Elle hard. "Yeah...I'm just...I'm sorry about that...about everything...I just wish I could have seen how much of a fool I was sooner..." "Alright." “All I wanted was for you 3 to be safe…and all I was doing was tearing the family apart, making my 2 daughters miserable...what kind of parent am I?” "You're improving right now." That made Elle's tone sound more hopeful. “How?” "You're trying." While that touched her, there was still a part of Elle that felt tormented. "But still...what am I supposed to do if one of you is in trouble, and I can't get to you in time? What if I..." "Let's do a recap. Ana is Judge Althaea, Sen is an angry Jedi, and I'm a master of two martial arts, I'm as good as Mark with a bow, and I cave in skulls with an icepick." “I…I’m sorry…just those flashbacks still getting to me…I just wish they would stop…” "Tried asking Adriana about it?" "Yes...and my mother, and both members of Ivalice's 'Light of Kiltia' and the Jedi Order...the damage is just too ground in..." "Then I don't know...Who is RS?” “I…I’m not sure…my only guess…however…I just don’t know…” Sasha sighed at that. Elle was quick to change the subject. “Ummm…so…is Anastasia really the only one of us you felt comfortable around?” "Effectively. You were always getting on my ass and trying to keep me from having a life. Sen was being a pet more than a son. Ana had the common courtesy to keep her disapproval to herself." “Yeah…I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused…” "I'll tell you what I told Sen. I'm not the one you should apologize to." “Why do you say that?” "It did more to Ana then it did to me." “Alright…and from here on out…if you feel I’m being a little too overbearing…please let me know…” “Done.” “Thank you…now I have to go find your sister…apologize to her for this whole mess…” With that, Elle climbed down and went to look for Anastasia. Sasha just stayed there and downed the rest of the Vodka. ---- Sasha listened in on Elle's apology to Anastasia, and, a while after it was over, she climbed into Anastasia’s room from the roof, as Anastasia finished talking to someone on her computer. "Oh...Sasha..." Anastasia said, caught offguard. "Boyfriend?" Sasha joked. In a surprisingly-amused tone, Anastasia responded, "Very funny...no, got another mission, I'm...I mean...'Judge Althaea' is needed..." "You're the same chick, sis," Sasha reminded her, not for the first time. “I know…Point is, I got somewhere I need to be.” At that, Anastasia kicked her rug aside, revelaing a button, which she also kicked. Part of the wall disappeared like a deactivated Hologram, and inside the revealed room was an Ivalician Waystone and a large cabinet. Sasha asked, shocked, "How the hell did you install that without us noticing?" “You, Sen, and Mom would probably miss the entire AoUD walking by the house if you were arguing at the time…” She opened the cabinet, revealing it to be where she stored her armor. Sasha answered, "Good point." Anastasia then took the armor and put it on over her clothes. "Well, consider yourself lucky: other than Larsa, Basch, Gabranth, and the Dalmascan Engineers who set this up, you're the only one I’ve allowed in this place." "Probably shouldn't have downed that vodka, then," Sasha joked. Before she put her helmet on, Anastasia asked, “So…if you have something you need to talk to me about, say it fast…” Instead, Sasha answered, "I'll go." With that, she left the room and climbed out Anastasia's window. Anastasia then put on the helmet, triggering Judge Althaea's emergence. Althaea then said, “Time to get to work…” With that, she touched the waystone, which transported her to the Dalmascan station...and her next adventure. Category:Stories